Mental health and young people aged 6 to 25 - The FRQS, the Graham Boeckh Foundation and the MSSS invest $3.75M in a Québec research network

MONTRÉAL, April 28, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), the Graham Boeckh Foundation and the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) are very pleased to announce the launch of a program to fund the creation of a Québec research network on mental health and young people aged 6 to 25 in the amount of $3.75M over five years.

The FRQS will oversee the program, and the three partners will make equal contributions to the initiative.

"There is a pool of excellent mental health researchers in Québec. This partnership with the Graham Boeckh Foundation and the MSSS will provide them with the means to work as part of a network and set forth solutions to improve prevention efforts and services for at-risk young people and those suffering from mental illness," stated Prof. Rémi Quirion, Québec's chief scientist and chairman of the board of directors of the FRQS.

"Network researchers will seek out best practices from around the world that could be implemented in Québec, specifically with regards to the early prevention of mental illness in children 6 to 11 and the effectiveness of mental health services for young people 12 to 25," added Dr. Renaldo Battista, scientific director of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé.

"Our goal is to contribute to the development of mental health research in Québec for the benefit of young people aged 6–25," said Ian Boeckh, executive chair of the Graham Boeckh Foundation. "We are delighted to collaborate with the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé and the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux to improve the lives of youth suffering with mental illness."

"This partnership is of particular importance since it aims to support the creation of a network that will make a tangible contribution to the improvement of mental health services for young people between the ages of 6 and 25. The program launched today is fully in line with the department's priorities and strategies in youth mental health," affirmed Québec's health minister Gaétan Barrette.

Launching in July 2015, the call for proposals to establish the network will be open to all members of Québec's scientific community in the mental health sector. The results and grants will be announced in April 2016.

One out of five Canadians will suffer from a mental disorder in their lifetime. Over 50% of mental disorders appear before the age of 14 and 80% before the age of 22. Though young people are more at risk of suffering from a mental disorder than any other age group, they have only limited access to mental health care since most standard services are tailored to the needs of younger children and older adults.

About the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) The mission of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), which reports to the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research, is to support health research to foster the wellness of Québec's population. Its mandate is to promote and financially support such research, to disseminate knowledge and train researchers, to forge the partnerships necessary for the development of Quebec's research and innovation system, and, lastly, to advance research internationally. For further information, visit www.frqs.gouv.qc.ca.

About the Graham Boeckh Foundation (GBF)Based in Canada and open to the world, the GBF aims to be a catalyst in bringing about transformational changes that significantly improve the lives of people with or at risk of mental illness. For further information, visit grahamboeckhfoundation.org.